The Society's Logo

Our logo (above) is based on one of the panels on

Navan's Market Cross

(recently  restored to the town and now on display in the Solstice Arts Centre).

It shows the arms of some the early Norman families of the town including the lozenges or diamonds of the Nangles who were the Barons of  Navan for almost 500 years.

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Membership

To apply to join the Navan & District Historical Society please print out, fill in and forward your application to us as described here.

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N&DHS ' Events 2015


 

Heritage Week 2015 The N&DHS' Vincent Mulvany telling the story of the medieval settlement in Athlumney. (above left): In the graveyard at the little 800 year old church and (above right) at the tower house with its Tudor extension.

Athlumney Graveyard near the Cheever Gough Stone (left) and  on the first floor of the Castle near the secret room (right).

(above) The  N&DHS' Vincent Mulvany pulling in the crowds for the second time in Athlumney, despite the weather, during Heritage Week 2015




N&DHS ' Events 2014

 

islandbridge outing 2014group at islandbridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 2014 - Annual Outing: Pictured above are members of the N&DHS in the sunshine at the Islandbridge War Memorial Gardens, after a visit to Kilmainham Jail where the light found it hard to penetrate.

hodgett grave

The N&DHS' first event for Heritage week 2014 was a walk around historic Navan (1913-23) led by Vincent Mulvany.  The group stops at the house of Navan's murdered postman Thomas Hodget (top left) and again at his grave (top centre). They again stop at the location of the first meeting of the Irish Volunteer's in Feb. 1914 - the Old Forester's Hall in Bedford Place (top right).


The second Heritage Week event was Kevin Traynor's guided tour of Dunmoe Castle, medieval church and settlement. Dunmoe Castle is associated with the D'Arcy family.

The final Heritage Week Event was a guided tour of Navan's Monastic Settlement, the round Tower, medieval Church and graveyard at Donaghmore, led by Cepta Dungan. Cepta stands at the grave of the croppy who died after the battle of Tara in 1798.


 

brendan matthews night In Feb. 2014

Brendan Matthews gave us a talk on

Collier the Robber

Pictured left are

Donie Halpin, Vincent Mulvany,

Brenda Mooney, Brendan Matthews,

Ethna Cantwell,

Rose Smyth and Mairéad Crinion.


Society's Events and News in 2013

 

committee 2013 AGM

 

N&DHS AGM

Nov. 2013

Committee 2013-14

Back: (l-r) Vincent Mulvany, Paschal Marry, Noel French, Pat Curtis, Bob Dier, Seán Conlon, Donie Curtis, Norman Dungan, Liam McCarthy

Front: (l-r) Marie Conlon, Bernadette Murray, Richard Farrelly, Mairéad Crinion, Cepta Dungan, Ethna Cantwell

 

 

RIC night sept 2013

Sept 13th 2013

Geraldine English gave a very well received illustrated talk on the

RIC in Meath

Pictured left is Geraldine English (2nd left) with  members of the N&DHS - Peter Connell, Ethna Cantwell, Richard Farrelly and Mary Lynsky, whose Grandfather served with the RIC

 

 

 

A 99 year old watch came winging its way back to Navan in March. It turned up in a jumble sale in Farnham England, and was sent to the N&DHS by the woman who purchased it, Ms Jean Parratt. She was delighted to see it return to the town from which it originated.

In the absence of a Meath County Museum, the N&DHS decided that the best place for it would be the County Library. The photo below shows Vincent Mulvany the Archivist of the N&DHS presenting the Brock Watch to Ciarán Mangan, Meath Co. Librarian.  Other N&DHS members present include Ethna Cantwell, Mairéad Crinion and N&DHS Chairman Richard Farrelly.

The watch is on display in the Local Studies Room of Navan Library.


brock watch presentation brock watch inscription

 

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Society's events and news in 2012

donaghmore heritage weekdunmoe heritage week
(above left) The Guided tour of Donaghmore Monastic settlement in the sunshine on the Wednesday of Heritage Week and (above) the 40 or so souls who braved the pouring rain for the tour of Dunmoe Castle a mere 24 hours later - the joys of our Irish summer 2012!

2 Meetings  held during 2012 - (below left)  Kevin MacNamidhe opens up the Archives of P5TV and (below right) Seamus MacGabhainn speaks of the Scholar poets of Meath.

seamus mc gabhainnkevin macnamidhe









 

 

 

 

Our website www.navanhistory.ie was launched in Navan Library on 16th  February 2012.

John O'Grady the Webmaster, said that the  website was aimed at the old natives of Navan and its newer citizens alike, and to this end, it contains a vast amount of information on the rich and varied history of the town.
This was followed by an illustrated talk by James Carney on "Photography and Local History". Those present were
web launch
enthralled by the photographs shown, - images which ranged from the digging of the foundations of Navan's Shopping Centre to a Trimgate St. with thatched roofs.

The meeting ended with a display of photographs, created by Vincent Mulvany, of the old St. Pats. (St Finian's Study Hall). Those present were dismayed to see how the holes in the roof have exposed the interior to the elements.  The N&DHS' Chairman Richard Farrelly made a special plea to those Councillors present to work towards preventing further deterioration of the building, pointing out that this neglected building has a unique potential as a location for a County Museum, a resource sadly lacking in Co. Meath.

Society's events and news in 2011

visit to Balrath Windmillbob dier heritage week

Heritage Week 2011 Bob Dier leads a tour of              (above) Visit to Balrath Windmill (below) Feb. 2011

St.Mary's Church of Ireland (pictured above) ballrath windmill

castletown house

Visit to Castletown House June 2011


Launch of N&DHS's 1st Journal  Dec. 2011

Navan - Its People and Its Past

journal

Launch of "Navan - its People and its Past" in Navan Library Dec. 2011

Back Row L-R Richard Farrelly, Ciarán Mangan (Co. Librarian), Vincent Mulvany, Tom French (Navan Library Local Studies) Norman Dungan, Peter Connell, Seán Condon, Mairéad Crinion.

Front Row L-R John O'Grady, Joe Reilly (Deputy Mayor of Navan), Ethna Cantwell, Bernadette Murray.

The first Journal published by the Society, Navan, Its People and its Past
~ Articles include  ~
Blackcastle Estate - aspects of its history
Navan & Donaghmore in Penal times
O'Connell's last visit to Tara 1845
Medieval Navan
The Loreto Nuns come to Navan
The Murder of Thomas Hodgett
(Navan's postmaster 1921)
Ardsallagh in the 1821 Census
Stories from the Gallows
Shopping in Navan 100 years ago (pictures)
The Schools' Manuscript Collection (Folklore from 1933)
Memories of the Weirs
Exploring the Family Archive of R.J. Murray
Bullet throwing in Navan
A Milestone in Navan
Meath in 1900
Our first Journal "Navan - its People and its Past" (above) was launched just before Christmas, and to our delight it sold out in a couple of weeks. A limited reprint has just been issued, and can be purchased in some shops (Tierneys Trimgate St., Hartens Navan Shopping Centre,  Slevin's Bookshop on the Hill of Tara) and at our meetings.

2010 Annual Outing

Walk around Historic Drogheda led by Brendan Matthews

drogheda historic walk

2009 Visit to Cavan County Museum Ballyjamesduff

cavan co museum 2009

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Constitution

  1. The Society shall be called the Navan & District Historical Society.

  2. The aims of the Society shall be to locate, record, preserve, examine and illustrate the antiquities of the Navan and District area.
  3. The Society shall be non political and non sectarian.
  4. A person shall become a member of the Society on being proposed by a member of the Society, being accepted at a meeting of the Board, and having paid the annual subscription.
  5. The Board shall consist of the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, PRO, Membership Secretary, and up to 15 elected members of the Society.
  6. The Board shall have the authority to transact all business of the Society.
  7. Five members shall form a quorum.
  8. The Board shall be elected at the annual AGM.
  9. The Society shall fundraise whenever necessary to achieve its aims.

 

The Society's first Board in 2007

Back: Bob Dier, Sean Condon, John Connolly, Liam McCarthy, Stephen Sherlock, Vincent Mulvany, John O'Grady.

Front: Bernadette Murray, Ethna Cantwell, Richard Farrelly, Peter Connell.

(Photos above: © Navan & District Historical Society)